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Re: Just wondering...

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On 6/2/25 4:58 PM, Captain Nemo wrote:
> On Mon, 2 Jun 2025 11:38:49 -0500, John wrote:
> 
>> I get it that the youngsters don't have the old machines, as they seem
>> to expend a lot of effort recreating workalikes.
> 
> I don't know about others, but part of my interest in vintage machines was
> to learn about computers in general.  And the old machines are simpler
> with more discrete components - not everything bundled into one chip that
> you can't modify.
> 

100% agree!  I've met many clueless youngsters.  Or, even worse, those 
whose education consisted of web searches and YT videos.
I call it the 'Swiss cheese effect'.  Gaping holes in their knowledge 
because they didn't know what questions to ask. And they come off as 
they know what they are talking about because they simply don't know yet 
what they are missing. 'Poseur' is sometimes an appropriate appellation.
Some seem to think the totality of computer science is learning to code 
in Python.  Make me cringe.  I'm the old geezer that gives Heathkit 
ET-3400's to kids for Christmas.  :)



>> So... where have the machines gone?
>> When grandad dies, does he leave them to a museum?
> 
> eBay, estate sales, etc.
> 
> Plenty at the Vintage Computer Festivals.
> 
> As I get older, I'm making plans to liquidate my collection at some
> point.  I'll probably get a table at a VCF near me and sell them, with the
> assurance that they are going to people who know what they are.
> 
> Not perfect, but it's the best that I think is humanly possible.
> 


I'm in the same boat.  I've collected/restored machines since the 90's 
and properly seeing to their disposition would be a time consuming 
chore.  Even arranging transport to a (somewhat) local VCF entails many 
details and layers of protection. And I don't fancy lugging them up to a 
hotel room or keeping them in a vehicle overnight.  If I had a few small 
laptops, OK, but I have mainly big S-100 boxes. Maybe I should start 
working out more?


>> It seems only a few years ago there were many posts here.
>> Now it's dead quiet.
> 
> Probably because Google stopped accepting new messages.  Many BBSs (yes,
> they still exist) were using Google as a message-base-Usenet gateway and
> the amount of spam was getting pretty bad in some groups.  So Google
> turned it off.

Classic case of putting all your eggs in one basket.
And trusting a company like Google.

I've had good results with the VCFed forums.
But, frankly, a lot of the traffic is the newer machines 
(Apple,Atari,Commodore, etc.) and that doesn't interest me a whit.
Even back in the day, I viewed these 'mass market' machines with a 
degree of contempt. They were for those who didn't know which end of a 
soldering iron to hold.  Business wise, it was the right move for them, 
of course.  But for me, it was just a rewarding hobby.  So I guess you 
could say I prefer 'hobby computers' to 'home computers'.  And I still 
tinker to this day.

-J

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Just wondering... John <john@somewhere> - 2025-06-02 08:31 -0500
  Re: Just wondering... Josef Möllers <josef@invalid.invalid> - 2025-06-02 16:11 +0200
    Re: Just wondering... yeti <yeti@tilde.institute> - 2025-06-02 15:13 +0042
    Re: Just wondering... pH <wNOSPAMp@gmail.org> - 2025-06-02 15:55 +0000
      Re: Just wondering... Josef Möllers <josef@invalid.invalid> - 2025-06-03 23:12 +0200
        Re: Just wondering... pH <wNOSPAMp@gmail.org> - 2025-06-04 04:37 +0000
          Re: Just wondering... Josef Möllers <josef@invalid.invalid> - 2025-06-04 11:33 +0200
            Re: Just wondering... jeffj@panix.com (Jeff Jonas) - 2025-06-21 04:19 -0400
    Re: Just wondering... Fritz <freiwiederwind1@hotmail.de> - 2025-06-05 14:15 +0200
  Re: Just wondering... pH <wNOSPAMp@gmail.org> - 2025-06-02 15:54 +0000
    Re: Just wondering... Captain Nemo <nemo@nowhere.org> - 2025-06-02 21:53 +0000
      Re: Just wondering... dxf <dxforth@gmail.com> - 2025-06-10 18:24 +1000
      Re: Just wondering... Fritz <freiwiederwind1@hotmail.de> - 2025-06-10 10:40 +0200
        Re: Just wondering... Nick <here@nowhere.invalid> - 2025-06-12 20:55 +0100
        Re: Just wondering... jeffj@panix.com (Jeff Jonas) - 2025-06-21 04:28 -0400
    Re: Just wondering... Steve Nickolas <usotsuki@buric.co> - 2025-06-03 11:52 -0400
  Re: Just wondering... John <john@somewhere> - 2025-06-02 11:38 -0500
    Re: Just wondering... Al Kossow <aek@bitsavers.org> - 2025-06-02 10:37 -0700
      Re: Just wondering... Al Kossow <aek@bitsavers.org> - 2025-06-02 10:38 -0700
        Re: Just wondering... John <john@somewhere> - 2025-06-02 15:25 -0500
        Re: Just wondering... drb@ihatespam.msu.edu (Dennis Boone) - 2025-06-03 00:25 +0000
      Re: Just wondering... Paul Bartlett <bartlett@panix.com> - 2025-06-02 19:14 -0400
        Re: Just wondering... John <john@somewhere> - 2025-06-02 23:20 -0500
        Re: Just wondering... Captain Nemo <nemo@nowhere.org> - 2025-06-03 09:30 +0000
    Re: Just wondering... David Schultz <david.schultz@earthlink.net> - 2025-06-02 14:02 -0500
      Re: Just wondering... John <john@somewhere> - 2025-06-02 15:28 -0500
    Re: Just wondering... Captain Nemo <nemo@nowhere.org> - 2025-06-02 21:58 +0000
      Re: Just wondering... John <john@somewhere> - 2025-06-02 23:49 -0500
        Re: Just wondering... Al Kossow <aek@bitsavers.org> - 2025-06-03 09:09 -0700
          Re: Just wondering... Nick <here@nowhere.invalid> - 2025-06-04 23:33 +0100
          Re: Just wondering... Ed Batalha <edbatalha@yahoo.com> - 2025-06-04 23:45 +0100
          Re: Just wondering... John <john@somewhere> - 2025-06-05 05:03 -0500
          Re: Just wondering... John <john@somewhere> - 2025-06-05 05:06 -0500
            Re: Just wondering... Captain Nemo <nemo@nowhere.org> - 2025-06-05 21:41 +0000
            Re: Just wondering... Dave McGuire <mcguire@lssmuseum.org> - 2025-06-10 09:41 -0400
              Re: Just wondering... Steven Hirsch <snhirsch@gmail.com> - 2025-06-16 21:58 -0400
                Re: Just wondering... Dave McGuire <mcguire@lssmuseum.org> - 2025-06-17 15:59 -0400
                Re: Just wondering... Steven Hirsch <snhirsch@gmail.com> - 2025-06-24 16:57 -0400
          Re: Just wondering... Nils M Holm <nmh@sraddha.invalid> - 2025-06-05 12:02 +0000
  Re: Just wondering... John <john@somewhere> - 2025-06-04 07:26 -0500
    Re: Just wondering... cruff@ruffspot.net (Craig Ruff) - 2025-06-05 00:25 +0000
      Re: Just wondering... John <john@somewhere> - 2025-06-05 05:09 -0500
  Re: Just wondering... Nick <here@nowhere.invalid> - 2025-06-04 23:45 +0100
    Re: Just wondering... David Schultz <david.schultz@earthlink.net> - 2025-06-04 18:11 -0500
  Re: Just wondering... Steven Hirsch <snhirsch@gmail.com> - 2025-06-16 21:54 -0400
    Re: Just wondering... John <john@somewhere> - 2025-06-17 08:29 -0500
      Re: Just wondering... ECNeilson <eric@neilsonhart.com> - 2025-07-18 21:50 -0500
        Re: Just wondering... John <john@somewhere> - 2025-07-19 01:40 -0500
          Re: Just wondering... "Kerr-Mudd, John" <admin@127.0.0.1> - 2025-07-19 10:33 +0100
          Re: Just wondering... dxf <dxforth@gmail.com> - 2025-07-20 12:00 +1000
          Re: Just wondering... Steve Nickolas <usotsuki@buric.co> - 2025-07-19 23:00 -0400

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